Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-11-16
SORGHUM AGAIN.

Last week the INDEX published a
brief description OF the process used at
the Fort Scott sugar works in extract
ing the juice from the cane. Continu-
ing this interesting subject, we pub
lish below, from the same author. Mai.
G.. i. Jenness, in the Usage City Free
Press, n description of the scientific
treatment of the juice, and also a com
prehensiye statement OF the profit TO
the farmer for his cane.
One of the many difficulties encoun-
tered IN the making of sorghum sugar
by the diffusion process last year, was
the loss OF cane sugar in the cells during
the extraction or the juice, The acids
which are found in the cane clups. aid
ed by the heat necessary to produce n
good extraction. causes a large portion
of the crystaiizab!e sugar 10 be con-
verted into glucose. DR.. Wiley, who
hai charge of tue experiments at that
time, tried caustic lime. but it was
found that when the cane Juice became
alkaline, It would.diause out of the
chips, and moreover, the Juice that was
extracted was so dark aud bitter as 10
he perfectly useless Prof. Swenson
suggeste' nj that time the use of car
Donate of lime. bCt he was completely
overwhelmed by wave of science
which bruoked no interference from
anyone, and Prof. Wiley was so COM
pletely discouraged that he claimed
nothing short of a new act of creation
would make it possible to obtain sugar
I'm paying quantities from sorghum. and
he has again attempted to prove his
position 10y making complete failure
at the Rio Grande government expert
mental station this season. This wear
Prof. SwensOn has carried out his idea
of the carbonate, and it has proved the
long-sought philosophers stone. The
carbonate of lime is applied in the cells
of the diffusion battery, TO the amount
of about ten pounds 10 each ton of cane.
The juice, in passing through the chips.
comes in contact with the carbonate.
and the acids of the juice are thus neu-
tralized. Any.eXcess of the carbonate
remains unchanged. and has no effect
upon The juice. :, Is made by inject
ing carbonic acid Into the milk of lime.
or whltewash. The carbonic acid is
generated 10y burning coke in "A furnace.
and Is drawn thence and forced through
perforated pipes lying along the bottom
OF the tank containing the milk Of lime.
The carbonic acid Is absorbed by the
lime until the mass becomes perfectly
neutral-that is, neither acid nor aka
! line, and 1t is then ready for use.
y subsequent method of employing
the carbonate is in use as n altering
material, about two per cent. being
mixed with the juice The carbonate
being crystalline, gives pOrnsity to the
solid impurities OF the juice, and thus
prevents the gunmy impurities from
clagging up the cloths through which
the juice is forced and Uttered. This
Offering Is done before the Juice goes
into the boiling pans. This process was
urged upon Prof. Wiley last yen'. also,
A., nut to no avail ; vet, during his tempo
rary clhsence, II was tried with most
gratifying rss,.l'ts In fact three-fourths
OF all The sugar made i,st season, was
made during his absence, but upUns his
return the old method was resumed.
and. of course. failure resulted. This
he preferred rather than adopt the sug-
gestion of others. As TO the success
here this year, the first strike made av-
eraged one hundred and twenty pounds
OF sugar per ton Of cane, as compared
with an average of twenty pounds last
season, and the cane last year was
much better than that produced this
year. During the running of the works
as high Is one hundred and thirty